Abstract
We demonstrate a novel non-contact method: acoustic radiation force impulse microscopy via photoacoustic detection (PA-ARFI), capable of probing cell mechanics. A 30 MHz lithium niobate ultrasound transducer is utilized for both detection of phatoacoustic signals and generation of acoustic radiation force. To track cell membrane displacements by acoustic radiation force, functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes are attached to cell membrane. Using the developed microscopy evaluated with agar phantoms, the mechanics of highly- and weakly-metastatic breast cancer cells are quantified. These results clearly show that the PA-ARFI microscopy may serve as a novel tool to probe mechanics of single breast cancer cells.
Highlights
Cellular mechanics may play a crucial role in the differentiation, migration, gene expression of cells [1]
This paper reports a novel non-contact PA-Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) microscopic method capable of probing mechanical properties of a single cell
Functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (FCNT) enabled the tracking of targeted sample displacement induced by acoustic radiation forces acting on the sample with high sensitivity
Summary
Cellular mechanics may play a crucial role in the differentiation, migration, gene expression of cells [1]. Mechanical properties of a cell can be changed by various external and internal cues including disease infection and variations in cell nature. Diseased cells undergo variations in cellular compositions, internal structures, and external interactions, which are closely related to the changes in mechanical properties of cells. The mechanical properties of cells have been shown to differ as their phenotypes. Metastatic cancer cells, which remodel internal structures of actin cytoskeletons, are reported to be less stiff than weaklymetastatic cancer cells [4]. As shown in these previous studies, the cell mechanics can be altered by disease infection, variations in cell phenotype, and etc. The measurement of mechanical properties of single cells may provide important clues to the identification of cellular phenotypes, alternations, and functions
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